JJ - am willing to discuss things with you when you come to the table in a decent manner. It's appreciated.
No, I didn't have a rich daddy or family. Like most flying for an airline was all I dreamt about. I had enough saved up for a restricted license after I left school due part time jobs and school holiday jobs (building site labouring). I worked in bars and nightclubs as a glassy as well as laborer gigs off and on while learning to fly & study to make it happen. I drove from one end of Oz to the other to follow up the CVs I sent out and phone calls I made. Most/all operators said no via a phone call or didn't reply to emails or letters. Me standing in front of them gave a far different impression. I landed a job in a single, then light twin, then turboprop FO, Capt to a jet job. In the early GA days I still worked in bars to keep the momentum. I travelled from Oz through Asia to the UK during the first holiday I took in over 4 years since working as a pilot to hunt for a jet job when the industry in Oz wasn't hiring. After 6 months or so on the jet I was offered the CX interview (early 2008) and passed..... The iCadetship was not what I interviewed for. Mine & other pilots' careers are worth more.
I did not take out a massive loan but looked at the option when or if I would of had to. Not because I wanted to but because that's what it may of taken in tough times. The harder I worked the luckier I got it seemed.
For guys with as little as 500 hrs TT there are 320 and 737 jobs in Asia. That's perhaps a year to 18 months of "hard yards" which is nothing in the scheme of things. With more recognised hours comes more options. That how it works. No, RyanAir is not a bastion of good will in the industry but if you're going to make a choice over 2 evils of CX iCadet as SO on a P2X vs a RHS of a single aisle jet (let alone any job flying anything!!) then take the option to build your hours!!!! You then become the owner of your destiny and not at the mercy of CX and the bond that as you can see is far longer than just the 6 year period due the severe lack of recognised hours. And what of age vs experience? Airlines look at this as well.
Far too many iCadets hopefuls have not considered the big picture and long term realities. Others like the muppet above do it, whine about it (refer to his previous posts) and then shout from the rafters in a bi-polar manner defending it?! There are far, far better options out there that just take more investigation, planning, commitment and determination.
Last edited by ChinaBeached; 29th August 2012 at 07:14.